New Term - New Plans

Hello all! I do apologise for the slight lack in posts this month, only starting back at uni has meant lots of assignments, deadlines and general busyness. However I'm going to take a little time aside to let you in on what I've been up to on my downtime.

 

Having stumbled across an Instagram post claiming that it was the last weekend to enjoy the cosy vicinity of the temporary, Apres Ski Lodge, I decided that it was a must-visit and coaxed the byf into joining me for a little tipple before dinner. It was pretty busy but we managed to catch a table beside the log-fire and contentedly sipped on our Prosecco whilst we chatted and giggled about surprise vacations, impromptu wedding talk (although we are certainly not planning on hearing bells of the sort anytime soon) and general daily nonsense, small-talk etc. Although small, the atmosphere was lovely and welcoming, banter was being had and drinks were enjoyed under roof of the wooden alpine themed chalet.

 

 

Slightly loved-up and a little high on the fizz, together we decided to treat ourselves and go all out and so went to dine in the gorgeous retro interior of The Cosy Club. With it being a weekend it was understandably busy and some waited for table whilst I was handed a little more Prosecco. The byf was being unusually frivolous and I had to question if the pair of us had gone crazy. However I wasn't going to deny it was quite wonderful even if the beverages were going ever so-slightly to my head. Dinner was wonderful, the food was completely scrumptious and the conversation was rife. All in all it was a delightful evening of spontaneity and I was ever so thankful for it!

 

Mid-week came about and the moral was running low and so after the byf had finished his exams we took swiftly into town and took shine to visiting the quaint Georgian Tearooms. Having graced through the square many times on a frequent basis, we've many times talked about going but never quite got round to actually stepping through the door. Luckily being mid-week and two weeks into term, the place was practically deserted and so we were seated to the lullaby of Celine Dion's infamous track from 'Titanic', ordered afternoon tea and took a step back into another temporary world where work should not stress one out. It proved a rather lovely afternoon treat.

 

 

Then the fortnight was topped off with a weekend road-trip into Wales, lunching out, browsing round markets, visiting friends, several trips to MacDonalds, country walks and beach-side strolls eating fish n' chips - it was a much needed break away from looming deadlines and academic stress, the weather held-out and whilst it was frosty it was sunny and I'm so grateful for so many little things.

 

 

 

Hope January is going well for you all,

 

Love & Peace - til' next time!

 

 

 

A History of Writing

Ever since I was a spritely young thing I have been intrigued by storytelling, imagery and the written word. So with this in mind and my continuing obsession with purchasing an unnecessary amount of pretty notebooks and pens any time I'm let loose near a stationary shop, I think it's fair to say it should have been predicted that writing would shape my life as I ventured through my teenage years - as it did, being-schooled as I sat my GCSE's I would spend a good majority of any spare time writing in notebooks or typing for hours on our old-school computer. In-time it paid off, I managed to successfully find some of my works published in a few mainstream and lesser known publications. Keen on television also, I wrote my own stories with my  favourite fictional characters and on a punt sent off some ideas to a series in Australia, and as it turned out I got a rather, albeit brief, but positive response. This only spurred my desires further and I made a decision to study TV & Film Production at college as an alternative to sitting my A-levels.

 

The next four years proved a transformation period as my skills as a writer were tested in various forms, I gained great moments of inspiration and lacked to write anything of worth at all on other occasions, I wrote two short drama scripts and even wrote a few drafts of my very first novel courtesy of NaNoWriMo. I gained a few more published credits, received a few rejection letters, completed my course with flying colours and gained a couple weeks of work experience with a company or two. I'd been accepted to study Creative Writing with Publishing in my university of choice and quite frankly things couldn't have proved much more positive on a career front.



Since starting my degree my writing progress has been undeniably varied with various high and low points, my genres of and styles have varied as they should do, but ultimately I've been a little disappointed that I haven't created or achieved more in this time. Although that said I did manage to finally get a rather big dream off the ground - I managed to create my very own magazine from scratch and am now close to publishing my second issue with contributors as far as America taking part, it's truly wonderful and a lot of people have been very kind and positive which is always so encouraging, although needless to say it is very hard work on top of a joint honours degree!



Little Ivy Magazine

Aside from the magazine however since starting university I haven't exactly had much published, until a very lovely email arrived in my inbox yesterday. At first I looked at it with intrepidation, thinking I don't really want to read another potential rejection, however I turned out to very pleasantly surprised. Turns out a poem I wrote during my degree has been selected to feature in Whim Magazine's February issue, which as a fan I am absolutely delighted about :)



Love & Peace - til' next time!

Happy New Year - Welcome 2015!

 

photo courtesy of messagesquotes.com

Love & Peace - til' next time!

A Year In Reflection ... 2014

Last New Year's was a little quieter than the usual boisterous house of chaos and this year is shaped to be very similar if not more so again. However that has no reflection on the year itself, which has been wonderful and difficult and wonderful and difficult again but whilst 2014 has proved another year of personal hardship it's equally been a year of personal gain, of learning and experience.

 

Travel has proved a big highlight of the past year, having done quite a bit more adventuring than one would normally anticipate of experience in the average year. Stratford-upon-Avon for Valentine's, the New Forest for a extra-curricular excursion, Amsterdam on a university trip and then a compilation of Cornwall, Bristol, Glastonbury and Wells for my very special 21st birthday weekend. The Autumn brought further highlights as I got to explore several areas of Wales with my byf , as well as a brief flying visit to Oxford and a Christmas excursion to Liverpool. Then to top it all off, a trip down to Dublin proved a lovely little break when the byf came to visit me in Ireland.

 

 

 

 

As January slogged along I found myself still brightly optimistic as to the rest of the year ahead, having survived the first term of university life, however while the first couple weeks went well enough things didn't take long at spiralling downhill, my health took a turn for the worse, escalating to the point where with regret I had to finish the rest of my first year from home. By some miracle I survived the long demanding days of the Summer, (spent mostly indoors) and was admitted greatfully into my 2nd year. From here another term passes, I'm no longer in halls and am living independently in a wonderful old house with several other girls and somehow I've managed to reach Christmas with all my assignments in on time. But I wouldn't have got through it without the kindness, friendship and support of some of those closest to me. I am forever greatful for all the wonderful opportunites that have passed my way this year and can even say that I am finally employed, so whilst the year has had it's struggles for sure it's also been quite a wonderful year in retrospect and one I shan't quickly forget.

 

 

 

Love & Peace - til' next time!

Homeward Bound

As mentioned in my last post, I was gearing up at the start of the week to leave for home, to spend Christmas back in Ireland with the family. Well needless to my travels never seem to run smooth. Arriving at check-in with 10 minutes to spare I dashed straight to the gate (albeit with some quick goodbyes to my byf), where I waited patiently to board my flight. Fast-forward 30 minutes to when we are due-to take off, only to get word of an emergency landing at our destination and so for safety purposes we'd be delayed to leave. When the all-clear was given the ride was far from smooth, with quick frankly I reckon possibly the worst turbulence I've such experienced, which as one might expect slightly unsettled the nerves for some duration of our journey. Close to opted for a small wine to ease those restless thoughts, I thought better quickly after and opted for a calming cup of tea instead. It did the trick and we were soon due to land, except only moments later we were told we couldn't. Eventually we were able to land and to my surprise was one of the smoothest I've ever experienced. All in all it was interesting to say the least, but I was so happy to have arrived home.

 

The following day would see a lovely catch up with family over a few coffees and some last minute Christmas shopping was to be done. There was the annual college Christmas drinks, which proved short-lived due to the absence of my ID but a few drinks were still enjoyed regardless. With presents all wrapped by Friday eve, I felt free to make the most of my Saturday before Christmas and spend the day wandering round the Belfast Christmas Continental Market with my distant but ever-so-loved little sis'. The day begun with the somewhat becoming 'ritual' of breaking my Nandos' virginity, I opted for the veggie burger and am glad to say I wasn't disappointed - it tasted delicious. After we went down to the market where I finally got round to trying a Bailey's Mint Hot Chocolate - again I was far from unhappy with the result! Some much sought after Dutch Pancakes finished me off and the rest of the afternoon was spent browsing. A truly lovely treat with just days to go until 'the big day'. The week was then rounded off in-front of the box watching all the upbeat glamour of the Strictly Come Dancing finale' (something I wouldn't usually watch, but on this occasion was a surprising pleasant one-off).

 



 

photo courtesy of ipadinsight.com

 

Love & Peace - til' next time!

~ Hello & Welcome ~

Hello to one and all and welcome on your new discovery of The Lost Girl's Playbook. A little online haven in which to post all that I love, what I've been up to etc. Currently December and with the new year looming I thought it a good time to start my new adventure into the blogosphere, something I have admittedly dabbled in before, only I appear to have a problem of keeping persistent with it, failing to produce any new posts after a certain point whilst otherwise distracted. So anyway, here's to hopefully creating a more prosperous blog on this occasion, I look forward to seeing where the journey leads.

And where better place to start than with what I've been up to today? After a welcomed Sunday lie-in I rather hastily reheated some leftover Chinese takeaway before heading into town for one last hurrah before heading home to Ireland for the holidays. It happened to coincide with the last day of the Bath Christmas Market and so I swiftly took one last look around and even on closing day it proved to be going as prosperous as ever, which despite the crowds is good to see.



I picked up a few items of clothing in-store on the high street, before wandering the sweetly-lit back alleys where I also made a few spontaneous purchases, proving kind to both me and my purse. Then I stopped by the rather quaint Pasty Presto in the Abbey courtyard for a winter-warming Mint Hot Chocolate, which proved richly different and just the sugar-kick I needed after a long afternoon amongst the masses before the long impromtu walk home.

Love & Peace - til' next time!